The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Importance of Love and Service in Building Successful Companies

The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Importance of Love and Service in Building Successful Companies

In the fast-paced world we live in, it's no surprise that our memories are constantly being forgotten. According to cognitive psychology professor Norman Brown, the default mode of our brain is forgetting. Our brains have three phases for memory: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. When we encounter new information, our brains encode it with changes in neurons in the hippocampus and other areas. These changes create a physical memory trace known as an engram. However, much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory consolidation, often happening during sleep.

One theory is that the hippocampus stores an index of where these cortical memory neurons are for retrieval, similar to how Google search works. During memory retrieval, the memory trace neurons in the hippocampus and cortex are reactivated. Our memories are centered around our life stories and the events that affected us the most personally. However, the more events we experience, the harder it becomes to capture and remember all of them. New memories interfere with memories of older events, making it challenging to recall specific details.

Furthermore, memories of uniform events are harder to recall as the memory tends to put them together as one event. This poses a challenge when it comes to remembering specific years, such as the years of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a society, many people don't want to hold onto their Covid memories. We tend to view the future more positively than the past, which is fixed. Remembering the past is influenced by our current emotions, knowledge, and attitudes.

This has direct implications for how we look back on the Covid-19 pandemic and how we navigate the future. Without cultural artifacts such as books, movies, statues, and museums, the memories of the pandemic may be consigned to the entropic dustbin of history. In order for our autobiographical memories to be truly stapled into history, our lives need to be turned upside down by external forces.

Switching gears, let's explore the connection between love and service in building successful companies. When founders genuinely love their customers, it has a significant impact on the success of the company. Customers are more likely to be loyal, open to trying new products and features, and provide honest feedback. They also share their positive experiences with others, spreading the word about the company.

You can tell if founders love their customers by how they talk about them internally. When founders know each customer by name, understand why they use the product, and are aware of their long-term goals, it shows a genuine love and care for their customers. The founders speak about their customers as friends rather than mere clients. Their excitement is palpable when discussing specific customers.

However, many founders run out of hope before they run out of money. One explanation for this is that they don't care enough about their customers to maintain the willpower necessary to overcome the challenges of building something meaningful. Building a successful company is impossible if you look down on your customers. Love motivates people to work through challenges and persevere, ultimately creating something that addresses a deep need.

Passion for building products or scaling businesses may not be sufficient. At the core, serving customers is about serving other humans. They define the value of your products and business. How can you dedicate years of your life to serving someone you don't genuinely love?

Combining the science of forgetting and the importance of love and service, we can draw some actionable advice for both individuals and companies:

1. Practice intentional memory consolidation: Recognize the natural tendency to forget and make an effort to consolidate important memories. Journaling, reflecting, and discussing significant events can help solidify the memories in your mind.

2. Foster a culture of love and care for customers: As a company, prioritize building genuine relationships with your customers. Get to know them personally, understand their needs, and go the extra mile to provide exceptional service. Treat them as friends rather than transactions.

3. Embrace the power of storytelling: Just as cultural artifacts preserve memories, storytelling can help preserve the memories of the pandemic and other significant events. Encourage individuals and communities to share their stories and experiences, creating a collective memory that transcends the limitations of individual recollection.

In conclusion, the science of forgetting reminds us of the impermanence of our memories. However, by understanding the processes of memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval, we can take steps to preserve important memories. Similarly, in the world of business, the love and service founders have for their customers play a crucial role in building successful companies. By prioritizing genuine relationships and viewing customers as more than just transactions, companies can thrive and create lasting impact.